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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507035">10 Feet Tall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButtonByte/pseuds/ButtonByte'>ButtonByte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Just Roll With It (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Fights, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, based on a past work, idk how to tag this, maybe? - Freeform, possible shipping?, yes I took my AU and made it into one book</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:06:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ButtonByte/pseuds/ButtonByte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Major Spoilers for Just Roll With It, mainly Arc 2</p>
<p>The saying "thick as thieves" would be a good descriptor for the Vengolor brothers. They worked like thieves, they were close like thieves...<br/>And they kept secrets like thieves.<br/>But, the cat's got to come out of the bag at some point, yes? And what happens when the secrets finally get out?</p>
<p>Title from "10 Feet Tall" by Cavetown</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Br'eakdown</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>10 Feet Tall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is a nice ol redux of my old works in the Br'eakdown Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/JRWI_Angst_AU<br/>I decided to combine them into a chaptered work to keep things nice and tidy.<br/>Please enjoy this full redux!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>From the day the rag-tag group came together, their lives had become constant hell.</p>
<p>The first day they were together ended with a woman bleeding out in an alley, and it was only downhill from there. Fighting Umberhulks and undead barbers, troubles with both the thieves and the law, a malicious father, a wrongful king, a destructive god (multiple, actually), a dead friend. And even more recent troubles like the fire, the heist, the barren, and the reluctant swordsman.</p>
<p>The fight against the swordsman was arduous, every party member left aching and injured. It hadn’t ended as expected, not at all, but despite being supposedly out cold for upwards of 20+ hours, it was still night out and they were still exhausted beyond reason.</p>
<p>Even in their horrid state, the scenery around them remained beautiful- it was a good place to set up for the night, despite Chirp’s clear annoyance at their lack of urgency. Everything was covered in delicate pink petals; the trees, the ground, even the party members themselves. The branches were shaken but the occasional gust, releasing more blossoms into the late-summer night. It would’ve been perfect if the cool breeze didn’t sting their open wounds.</p>
<p>Injuries were Velrissa’s realm of expertise, so she did want any heal would do: she went from party member to member, closing the scrapes and gashes with a wave of her hand. Well, almost all of the party members. When it came to Br’aad, she hesitated.</p>
<p>He’d been the most injured in the fight. He had taken a majority of the hits from the swordsman’s tigers, and despite his shapeshifting, the worst of the bites and scratches remained. But that wasn’t why she hesitated. No, she hesitated because she knew Br’aad was still greatly upset with her. They hadn’t spoken a word since Vel accidentally murdered the young girl (Claire, she reminds herself. Her name was Claire.) and Vel wasn’t in the mood to start a fight.</p>
<p>Despite this, she reached out her hand. There was a large set of claw marks on Br’aad’s back, and they needed the most immediate attention. As she got closer, she could see the wound begin to slowly heal on the edges just from being in proximity of Vel’s magic. She thought that Br’aad might actually let her help him-</p>
<p>But that wasn’t the case. The second she got too close, Br’aad whipped around to face her, his voice laced with venom. “Don’t touch me.” It was a tone rarely heard from him, and it had certainly never been used against his fellow party members.</p>
<p>“Br’aad I- I just want to heal you. These injuries are severe-”</p>
<p>“I said-” He stood up, moving as far as he could from her- “don’t touch me.”</p>
<p>As Br’aad moved to stand near his brother, Vel began to notice more and more injuries. Namely, a huge gash across his stomach, even worse than the wounds left on his back. She had to do something, anything. She stood to approach once more, but the half-elf’s stern glare made her back away.</p>
<p>Thankfully- Or maybe not- Mountain came to Velrissa’s defense. “Would you stop being a little bitch already? She’s trying to heal you and- not sure if you’ve noticed- you look like shit.”</p>
<p>“Oh? Oh really now? I’m the one being a bitch? Well excuse me for being angry when she murdered a defenseless child!”</p>
<p>Everyone flinched when he said that. It was harsh, a stark contrast to who Br’aad usually was. Of course, Mountain joining the situation just made it louder, each turn of the back-and-forth escalating the tensions. It was like a boiling pot about to blow, or a volcano building to eruption. Something was going to happen.</p>
<p>While the fight raged on, Sylnan moved to Vel’s side. She’d sat down since the fight started. He kneeled down to her level, placing a comforting hand on her back. When she looked at him, he gave her a soft smile. It seemed to cheer her up, even if it was just a little.</p>
<p>Looking back at his little brother, Sylnan felt a sinking feeling in his gut. His face was contorted into a horrible expression, one filled with fury and frustration and pure hostility. It wasn’t a good look on him. Of course, considering the content of the argument, a thought crossed Sylnan’s mind. If Br’aad was reacting this violently to Vel’s mistake, how would he react to the very real atrocity his own brother had committed? There was no way to tell, too many factors playing into too many outcomes- it was best that Br’aad simply didn’t know.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like secrecy was a luxury he was going to be awarded.</p>
<p>"I don't know why you're so upset with Vel when your brother has done the exact same thing!"</p>
<p>And Sylnan’s blood ran cold.</p>
<p>“You. What?” His brother’s expression was unreadable, shifting so rapidly it was hard to pick out any one emotion.</p>
<p>“Br’aad, I- Wait- Please listen to me-” He shot to his feet, walking towards his brother- “I… We needed the money, I- I did what I had to- to protect you, I co-”</p>
<p>Suddenly, a near blinding light was in his face, fiercely glowing with a scarily familiar purple hue. The energy creeped it’s way up Br’aad’s arm, dying his new golden tattoos a bruise-like color. The look in his brother’s eyes sent ice through Sylnan’s blood.</p>
<p>“Get the fuck away from me.”</p>
<p>Almost as soon as it appeared, the energy left, leaving Br’aad as he had looked before. He quickly dropped his arm, his expression horrified at what just happened. That didn’t stop his anger for long, however, as Br’aad suddenly turned on his heels and bolted off into the trees, vanishing from sight.</p>
<p>The silence that overtook the party was heavy and deafening, the tension only being broken by Taxi, who bolted off to chase Br’aad into the forest. The other four were left to think and discuss the new revelation, something that Sylnan dread.</p>
<p>Nearly an hour later, lost and deep in the flowering trees, Br’aad finally stopped running. He was out of breath and his wounds made him feel like he was on fire. Despite the burning in his lungs and legs, he continued to walk on. His vision blurred as the tears streamed down his face, causing him to trip over tree roots and his own feet.</p>
<p>Eventually, the half-elf found himself standing before a lake. The water was near perfectly still, acting as a giant mirror for the moon and stars above. The only interruption to the image was the occasional stray petal, sending ripples through the illusion. The scene was gorgeous, and he would’ve enjoyed it more if it weren’t for the horrible revelations poisoning his mind.</p>
<p>Br’aad sat at the water’s edge, staring down into his own reflection. His own brother- someone he’d spent his whole life looking up to, someone he’d trusted with everything he had, including his own life- had murdered a child. A helpless, innocent child with no malicious intent. Just like Vel had. He said he did it for Br’aad, but Br’aad didn’t want this. He never wanted this. He would’ve rather starved for a day or two than see a child brought to harm.</p>
<p>He ended up catching a glimpse of his ring as he looked down. Jacquot had told him it was a symbol of his family, that it was a gift. At a time like this, it felt more like a curse. Was his whole family just destined for disaster? His father was a monster, his mother died, and now he’s learned that his brother was a child murderer? He could feel the tears threatening to spill over again.</p>
<p>Before he knew it, he was on his feet. He pulled off the ring with shaking hands, turning it over a few times before chucking it into the water. There was a voice in the back of his head, a small one telling him that he’d made a mistake, but he blocked it out. No matter how much that little voice screamed at him, he was certain that he didn’t want to be a Vengolor any longer.</p>
<p>Watching as the waves shook the water, his attention was turned back to his reflection. He hated every part of how he looked. He focused on his tattoos first. It didn't matter what color they were, it marked him as property to some horrific entity. He cast a spell, hiding the marks. While he was at it, he made his ears shorter too, more human. But then there was his hair. Without the tattoos, he looked like his father. Too much like his father. Using one hand, he gripped his hair, and with the other he pulled out a dagger. He wasn’t going to look like his father, they weren’t at all the same. He couldn’t stand it another day.</p>
<p>Farther back in the trees, Taxi was hot on Br’aad’s trail. His pink, sparkly bag was distinct enough to track, and he knew Br’aad had stopped at a small lake nestled somewhere in the woods. It took a while, having to weave through the thickets and weeds, but eventually he reached his destination.</p>
<p>He didn’t even realize he was looking at Br’aad.</p>
<p>He was wearing the same outfit, yes, but everything else had changed. His skin was clear of the tattoos that once covered it, his ears were short, and… his hair was cut short. It was messy and uneven and somehow a light brown in color now. </p>
<p>Taxi took a tentative step forward, and Br’aad turned to look at him as he did. His eyes were red and puffy- he looked nothing like himself.</p>
<p>“Br’aad… What did you do?” When the half-elf didn’t respond, Taxi took a seat next to him. Br’aad didn’t say a word, just staring at the clumps of golden hair in his hands. They sat like that for a long while, the gentle quiet of the night overtaking them both.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Br’aad began to sob. His attempts to speak were stifled by his rough cries. He longed to be honest, to tell Taxi- hell, tell them all- what he’d been through. How he’d seen Vel die, how Ob’nockshai had manipulated him, how Ob’nockshai had wanted a life for a life and ended up getting what he wanted in the end, but he just couldn’t say it. It wasn’t their fault, he knew that, but he had no other way to express his anger besides taking it out on himself. He just let himself sob pitifully, his tears rolling off his face into the water below.</p>
<p>Taxi wasn’t sure what to do. He watched as the spells faded from Br’aad, revealing his tattoos and ears as they truly were- though his hair stayed the same. Br’aad managed to choke out a word or two, but it was nothing coherent. Taxi couldn’t stand to see Br’aad like this.</p>
<p>The tabaxi pulled his friend into an embrace, keeping one hand on his back and the other in his- now brown- hair. He felt Br’aad bury his head into his chest, gripping onto the back of his shawl with enough force to tear it from his body. They stayed like that, rocking back and forth as Taxi comforted his distraught friend. </p>
<p>Eventually, the sobbing ceased, and Br’aad’s grip on Taxi’s shawl loosened. When he looked down, he noticed that the half-elf had fallen asleep, having cried himself to exhaustion. </p>
<p>There were so many questions left in the air, about Br’aad, about Sylnan, about the past, about everything. But all of that could wait til the morning.</p>
<p>It can wait.</p>
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